The students performed show tunes with a nature/beauty theme in support of Earth Day. Songs will include: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz, “All Good Gifts” from Godspell, “Corner of the Sky” from Pippin The Musical, and “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Funny Girl. Younger performers also joined in with performances from Annie.

For more information on the event, please visit: https://www.wolfperformingartscenter.org/earthdayonbroadway.

Starting early Sunday, May 7, 32 invited artists selected by juror Bryan Mark Taylor of Utah will commence a multiday painting competition. Over six days, these prolific painters will create original works of art within a 35 mile radius of Wayne, drawing inspiration from the nearby historical architecture and lush landscapes found throughout our region. All paintings will be completed on site and from direct observation which is what it means to paint “en plein air.” In addition to this year’s theme day focusing on the bountiful, beautiful and bodacious barns of our area, there is also a day devoted to painting in downtown Wayne, capturing the town’s most recognizable buildings and churches.

“It is truly astonishing that over 300 paintings are created in less than a week” said Wayne Art Center’s Executive Director Nancy Campbell. “We are thrilled to have new artists join us while welcoming back several participants of earlier festivals. The artists’ enthusiasm over 15 years, along with the generosity of our many business sponsors, patrons, and volunteers shows how valued this festival is to our community.”

The Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival launches with a private Welcome Event at a local patron’s picturesque farm on Sunday, May 7, 2023. Artists arrive with blank canvases which are stamped to ensure that all work is original. Then the race is on to create as many fresh and new works as possible. In conjunction with the festival artists, local plein air painters may partake in a Community Paint-Out. Artists who are 18 and older of all skill levels and working in 2D artistics mediums are welcome. Completed works will be installed at Wayne Art Center along with festival artists and are available for purchase.

The week culminates in a Collectors’ Preview & Sale on Friday, May 12 at the Wayne Art Center in the Davenport, Ethel Sergeant Clark Smith and Vidinghoff Galleries. Doors open precisely at 6 pm for those with early patron-viewing tickets and 7 pm for regular admission. The event offers a chance to meet the artists in a festive and elegant setting with open bar and savory hors d’oeuvres by Catering By Design. Martinis will flow from a hand-sculpted ice luge created by Ron Capone, and Phyllis Chapell and Dave Posmontier’s live jazz music will create a celebratory environment for over 250 collectors and patrons who have the first opportunity to purchase these freshly painted masterpieces. Juror of Awards Shanna Kunz of Utah will distribute $20,000 in prize money at the awards presentation. The Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival Exhibition opens on Saturday, May 13 and remains on view and for sale through June 24, 2023.

The success of the Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival is made possible through the dedicated efforts of the Plein Air Committee and the support and generosity of local business sponsors, patrons, and event attendees. Funds raised benefit Wayne Art Center’s diverse array of educational, outreach and exhibition programs for individuals of all ages and abilities. This year’s major sponsors include PNC Private Bank, National Arts Foundation, First Resource Bank, Oliver Heating and Cooling and the Archie W. and Grace Berry Foundation.

The community is invited to participate in several Plein Air activities being held at Wayne Art Center. These include a Juror’s Demo and Talk with Shanna Kunz on Saturday, May 13 at 1pm, and Mimosas and Masterpieces for Mom on Sunday, May 14 from 12-3pm. Other events include a  Summer Succulent Gardens in Glass Workshop on Thursday, June 1 from 5-7pm, and a French Provencal Dinner hosted by Chef Patrick Gauthron on Thursday, June 8 from 6-8:30pm. Additionally, local artists Beth Bathe, Elise Phillips, Mick McAndrews and Randall Graham will present Plein Air Painting Demos. Bathe will speak on Wednesday, May 31 from 5-7 pm; Phillips will speak on Wednesday, June 7 from 5-7 pm; McAndrews will speak on Tuesday, June 13 from 5-7 pm; and Graham will speak on Thursday, June 22, from 5-7 pm. Please visit www.waynepleinair.org  to register for these dynamic events.

Wayne Art Center 2023 Plein Air Festival Jurors

Bryan Mark Taylor of Utah, Juror of Selection

A painter, lecturer, entrepreneur, and world traveler, Bryan Mark Taylor is a renaissance man. As a painter, Bryan has won top awards in national and international shows and exhibits in museums worldwide. Bryan is a Signature Member of Plein Air Painters of America and has had many successful one-person shows. As a product designer, Bryan developed a premier outdoor painting system called the STRADA Easel, used by Plein Air artists worldwide.

Shanna Kunz of Utah, Juror of Awards

Shanna Kunz  is a naturalist painter of the landscape that surrounds her, interpreting the quiet and familiar places of the American West. Her work has been featured in numerous major art publications, including a feature article in Art of the West, Western Art & Architecture, Plein Air Magazine, Outdoor Painter, Southwest Art Magazine, Western Art Collector and Fine Art Connoisseur

2023 Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival Artists

Barbara Berry, PA
Hai-Ou Hou, MD
Elise Phillips, PA
Olena Babak, ME
Qiang Huang, TX
Antwan Ramar, FL
Beth Bathe, PA
Neal Hughes, NJ
Cynthia Rosen, VT
Krystal Brown, TX
Fred Jackson, PA
Kari Ganoung Ruiz, NY
John Caggiano, MA
Allen Kriegshauser, MO
Julie Sanderson, TX
Henry Coe, MD
Christopher Leeper, OH
W. Jason Situ, CA
Eileen Eder, CT
David Lussier, NH
Paulette Staley, PA
Martin Geiger, VA
Mick McAndrews, PA
Caleb Stoltzfus, PA
Randall Graham, PA
Charles Newman, NJ
Stewart White, MD
Fei Guan, CA
Abby Ober, MD
Vladislav Yeliseyev, FL
Jennifer Holmes, CT
DK Palecek, WI

About Wayne Art Center

Founded in 1931, Wayne Art Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the community through the arts. More than 500 classes and workshops are offered annually to over 5,000 students of all ages and abilities. The galleries at Wayne Art Center receive over 35,000 visitors a year for their many exhibits, lectures and special events. Wayne Art Center is located at 413 Maplewood Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 am-5 pm, and Saturday, 10 am -4 pm.

The 15th Annual Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival Exhibition will remain on display and open to the public from Saturday, May 13 until Saturday, June 24, 2023. For more information, contact Wayne Art Center at 610-688-3553 or visit www.wayneart.org or www.waynepleinair.org.

The lab is a cornerstone of the company’s work to ensure water quality across the eight states where it operates Aqua water and wastewater services.

Beauchamp played a significant role in the company’s industry-leading decision to test and remediate PFAS toxins in drinking water, setting a company-wide standard for PFAS several years before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a limit on the chemicals.

“New technologies enable us to detect contaminants much more precisely, and that knowledge carries a responsibility to treat what we find,” said Beauchamp. “Sometimes that means taking action before government regulators make decisions on what maximum safe levels should be. We’re very comfortable in that leadership role.”

Most recently, Beauchamp’s leadership extended to supporting the greater Philadelphia region after a March 25th chemical spill in the Delaware River.

Beauchamp’s team provided crucial laboratory testing for not only Aqua, but also the governmental agencies and other water providers looking to protect their customers during the five-day incident.

Beauchamp now leads a staff of 19, including 13 chemists and microbiologists. In addition to its groundbreaking treatment research, the lab conducts nearly 90,000 water-quality tests each year.

“Alicia’s strong leadership and focus on innovative water testing continues to be pivotal to our commitment to provide clean, safe, reliable water to all our customers,” said Christopher Crockett, Essential’s Chief Environmental, Safety and Sustainability Officer.

Beauchamp joined Aqua as a co-op student in 1998 and became a chemist with the company in 2001. She’s held numerous positions within the lab, most recently as Chief of Organic Chemistry. Beauchamp earned a Master’s in chemistry from Villanova University and a BS in chemistry from Drexel University.

She replaces Christine Brisbin, who retired.

About Essential Utilities:

Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities. With a focus on water, wastewater and natural gas, Essential is committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status. We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting more than 7,600 acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.

Operating as the Aqua and Peoples brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across 10 states. Essential is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S. Learn more at www.essential.co.

Junior Aidan Peterson, the trumpeter in the group, earned both the Judge’s Choice and Outstanding Musician Awards. He was also the only musician from Pennsylvania to be selected for the National Jazz Festival Diplomats Band that performed at the awards ceremony.

The awards ceremony was hosted at 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia to a standing room only audience. More than 40 schools from a dozen states competed for top honors in their divisions. Prize categories included, large and small ensembles, vocalists, and composition. Aside from playing for an award, musicians also had the opportunity to attend clinics and masterclasses conducted by industry leaders.

The festival started in 2019 with the mission to bring together high school and middle school jazz musicians and educators from across the nation to strengthen music education and performance while cultivating an inclusive, joyful community based on a mutual love of jazz. After a virtual hiatus due to the global pandemic, the festival returned in-person this year at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

The Shipley School Honors Combo is not new to the festival. They competed virtually the last few years. In 2021, ensemble member Aidan Peterson earned the coveted LOVE Award. This award was created to honor a middle or high school student who uses their passion for music to better the lives of others through activism and/or community service.

Roser’s coloring book includes a descriptive paragraph for each god and goddess and a back page showing the Greek alphabet.

Funding for the coloring book originated with a Lower Merion School District Innovation Center grant and support from the Philadelphia Classical Society, with exquisite printing by Athens Reproduction in Ardmore.

Within a year, international publisher Bolchazy-Carducci added the “Greek Gods and Goddesses” coloring book to its offerings at trade shows and professional meetings, resulting in an occasional royalties check for Roser, now a Harvard University Alumna.

In 2006-2007, when Philadelphia Classicist, teacher, and author Dr. Rudolph Masciantonio set up his Trust Fund with The Philadelphia Foundation and Bank of America as co-trustees, a small but significant non-profit based in Narberth,  was the dream of University of Pennsylvania tennis star Lisa S. Hoffstein, called “Katie at the Bat.”

Over time, that dream has been fulfilled and has evolved into “Team Up Philly” which empowers girls living in under-served Philadelphia neighborhoods to lead healthful, confident, and successful lives through sports and enrichment programs.

One addition to those enrichment programs has been made possible through the funds received by the Philadelphia Classical Society each year as a beneficiary of the Dr. Rudolph Masciantonio Trust.

Backed up by Masciantonio funding, the officers of the Philadelphia Classical Society recently decided to contribute copies of Vanessa Roser’s Greek Gods and Goddesses coloring book to girls in the “Team Up Philly” after-school program.

It is a delight to know that, in addition to coloring the illustrations, the girls of “Team Up Philly” have transliterated their given names into the Greek equivalents, and designed “visual thinking strategy” games using the finished illustrations.

These activities blend well with the mission of “Team Up Philly,” building self-confidence in academics and providing enriching art and culture experiences.

According to the mission of “Team Up Philly,” the programs are “dedicated to empowering girls living in under-served Philadelphia neighborhoods to achieve their full potential through participation in programs that combine athletics, character development, fitness & nutrition education, leadership training and academic support.”

The leadership of “Team Up Philly” believes strongly in the value of bringing urban and suburban communities together in partnerships which benefit both.

“The ‘Team Up Philly’ chief focus is on empowering girls in their critical adolescent and teen years to grow stronger, healthier, more confident and capable while supporting each other as part of a team, learning to stand for themselves and with each other.

“The programs employ a long-term, intensive approach, offering school-year programs as well as summer camp opportunities and providing coaching and mentoring to participants over a period of years.

“Why Athletics? ‘Team Up Philly’ brings athletic programs to girls who would otherwise not have the opportunity to play, and has introduced participants to basketball, tennis, swimming, soccer, yoga, Pilates, martial arts, and even fishing.

“Girls who participate in organized sports are more likely to go to and graduate from college, have a more positive body image and report higher levels of self-esteem and lower levels of depression.

“They are less likely to be the victim of sexual or domestic abuse, engage in substance abuse, suffer from eating disorders and have unintended pregnancies.

“Learning new skills and gaining physical strength and stamina also add to a child’s self-esteem. Being part of a supportive team is a powerful ally in life, particularly for adolescent and teen girls.

“Yet, adolescent girls today are the least active segment of the American population. They participate in organized sports at lower rates, drop out of programs earlier, and worse, have fewer opportunities even to play.”

“Team Up Philly” is changing those realities through the efforts of a dedicated Board of Directors and Staff including Executive Director Marian Fischer Pearlman, Director of Operations Alison Oshop, Coaches Tatyana Diggs-Koeuth, Alisha Gooding, Izzy Meline, and Kelsey Sanders, and Transportation Manager Hayden Dugan.

On Friday, May 5, “Team Up Philly” will celebrate the theme “BE A HERO” during the 17th Annual Fundraiser at the Merion Tribute House, from 7 pm to 10 pm. Find out how you can make a difference, go to: https://www.teamupphilly.org/

“SMS, 1956-64: a formative time of curiosities about life and the world with wonders about God and the Church, shaped by the dedicated labors of parents, nuns, teachers, coaches, and a host of volunteers.

“We children were blessed with so many graces in that splendid school located in that special borough called Narberth.”

As I prepared to write about SMS’ momentous longevity and those words of Father Gillespie, who had also served as 27th President of Saint Joseph’s University, his phrase “wonders about God and the Church” have resonated with me.

Today, Divine Mercy Sunday, at midday Mass, Monsignor Paul Dougherty described in his homily the peace of the Lord “which the world cannot offer.”

With these thoughts in mind and spirit, I will share some of the beauty and goodness of Saint Margaret School through a student’s words.

Elizabeth Shea, Grade 8, describes how Saint Margaret School models faith, “In our Religion classes, we learn about everything since the beginning of time, and we also do assignments in which we must interpret what something in the Bible means to our faith and to ourselves.

“Our teachers also make sure to remind us on how to be a follower of Jesus each moment in our daily lives.”

“Throughout the school year, Saint Margaret has many service-oriented activities and fundraisers. One example of these activities is a food drive which we call the ‘Souper Bowl.’

“Over the past several years, students bring in cans of soup and put them in a box for one of the two teams which they want to win the Super Bowl each year.”

Once collected, those cans of soup are delivered to the poor and needy.

These experiences outlined by Libby Shea reveal the essence of Saint Margaret School – faith, service, and academics – and reflect the legions of children who have studied, loved, and prayed there.

Now, imagine initiatives under way one hundred years ago in “the special borough named Narberth.”

Looking through an historic lens, according to the research of once-upon-a-time Saint Margaret parishioner Victoria Donohue, in conjunction with the start of SMS, we have learned that “the very popular fireworks tradition” in Narberth dated back to 1922.

Also, while the Sisters of Mercy and Saint Margaret School teachers were planning curricula, programs, and classroom spaces for the children, “Various community improvements went on apace, such as adoption of a building code in 1923 and the town’s first zoning ordinance in 1924, both of which were periodically brought up to date by amendments.”

In celebration of these very special 100 years, alumni, current and past parents, friends of St. Margaret School, and parishioners, are all invited to attend a special celebration on Saturday evening, April 22, to share memories and to enjoy the initiation of the Saint Margaret School Hall of Fame.

Year 2023 inductees will be Charles Friel, Class of ’54, parent and grandparent; Margaret Quinn Garofolo, Class of ’57, teacher, parent, and grandparent; and James McNulty, Class of ’78, parent and coach.

Memorial Awards are designated for Coach Jack and Mary Mullarkey, both parents of SMS students; for Sister Corinne Ritchie, RSM, former Principal; and “in gratitude” for the Community of the Sisters of Mercy, Founders of the School and faithful administrators and teachers.

The celebration begins with Mass at 5:15 pm, followed by a reception in the School at 6:15 pm, catered by PTG Caterers and former parent Gil Chavez.

For non-local readers, St. Margaret School is a Catholic Parish Elementary School in Narberth, which was established in the early 1920’s as an integral part of the Catholic Community of St. Margaret of Antioch Parish and which is supported by the parish community.

Today, St. Margaret School not only serves the parish of St. Margaret but is home to children from St. Matthias, St. John Vianney and the former parish of St. Justin, and the present parishes Presentation BVM, Our Mother of Good Council, and St. Thomas of Villanova, as a regional Catholic Elementary School for the Lower Merion-Narberth area.

For information about the “Celebration of the 100th Anniversary,” call 610.664.2640, ext. 2 or email: Alumni@smsnarberth.org.

Proceeds benefit the DAR’s Helen Pouch Junior Membership Teachers’ Classroom Grant Award Program, which is part of the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund (HPMF). The fund was named in memory of Helen Pouch (1901-1919), the daughter of Helena R. Pouch, who became the first national chair of the DAR Junior Membership Committee in 1937 and later served as President General from 1941-1944.

Authorized in 1938, the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund finances projects chosen by the Junior Membership Committee with the approval of the National DAR Executive Committee. Funding includes contributions to the DAR Schools, the National Junior Committee Project, and the Junior Membership Teachers’ Classroom Grants Program. The grants program supports two grants of $500 each for two classrooms in each state and the District of Columbia, totaling $51,000. Classroom teachers for grades kindergarten through 12th grade are eligible to apply. Applicants must be endorsed by a local DAR chapter and complete the grant award application before May 1, 2023, by clicking here ­­Helen Pouch Classroom Grant Application.

It has been a long-standing chapter tradition that the Juniors of the chapter organize the fashion show, which first started in 1934. Jeptha Abbott DAR Junior Member of the Year Leila Gresh was chairwoman of the event, and Karen Franks Zetterberg, Alexa Grollman, Gayla McCluskey, Emily and Abby Nicholson, Susan O’Donnell, and Katie and Rowan Pryma modeled fashions by Lilly Pulitzer.

In addition, at the luncheon, Jeptha Abbott Regent Teri Fischer received the “Patriot of the Year” award from General Anthony Wayne Society Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R.). PA C.A.R. State President and National Awards Chairman William Gresh presented the award.

“I was pleased to welcome everyone to our fashion show luncheon fundraiser. Our chapter selflessly gives in support of Historic Preservation, Education, and Patriotism, and I’m sure this time is no exception,” said Regent Teri Fischer. “Leila Gresh has worked hard in planning this luncheon so that we can fundraise towards the DAR’s Helen Pouch Junior Membership Teachers’ Classroom Grant Award Program. I am so proud of her and our chapter’s generosity. And I was touched and honored to receive the Patriot of the Year Award.”

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a women’s service organization whose members can trace their lineage to an individual who contributed to securing American independence during the Revolutionary War. Today’s DAR is dynamic and diverse, with over 185,000 members in 3,000 chapters in the United States and abroad. DAR members annually provide millions of hours of volunteer service to their local communities across the country and the world. In addition, DAR chapters participate in projects to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism. Over one million members have joined the organization since its founding in 1890. Go to www.dar.org.

“It’s an exciting day to be making such large returns to both townships,” Treasurer Garrity said. “I’m glad to safeguard the more than $4 billion in unclaimed property here at Treasury, but it’s not our money – and getting it back into the right hands is one of my top priorities. This money should be used to benefit the residents of Upper and Lower Merion townships, and now it’s back where it belongs.”

The $44,073.73 returned to Upper Merion Township included 26 individual properties ranging in value from $8 to $23,237. The oldest property dates back to 2002, while the most recent is from 2018. Properties returned include accounts payable checks, a credit balance, and a refund/rebate check.

“Unexpected revenue received by the Township is always a benefit to our taxpayers,” said Ernie B. McNeely, Lower Merion Township Manager. “A special thank you to JoAnn Drayton, the Township’s Accounting Supervisor of our Finance Department, for her diligence in submitting the claims that resulted in the Township receiving these funds, which will be deposited into the Township’s General Fund.”

The $28,930.51 returned to Lower Merion Township included 18 individual properties ranging in value from $20 to $12,370. The oldest property dates back to 2010, while the most recent is from 2018. Properties returned include accounts payable checks, uncashed checks, credit balances, and other forms of unclaimed property.

“The unclaimed property being returned by the state, regardless of the amount, does belong to the residents of the Township,” said Tina Garzillo, Board of Supervisors Chairperson. “I am grateful that Treasurer Garrity and our Township staff make the return of funds a priority.”

Treasurer Garrity also highlighted the fact that both townships make it a regular practice to check for unclaimed property. “We’ve now returned more than $127,000 to Lower Merion Township and nearly $100,000 to Upper Merion Township over the past several years,” she said. “I hope other municipalities will follow their lead to receive money that is rightfully theirs. We will continue reaching out to agencies across the state, but I also encourage local officials to contact Treasury for help recovering unclaimed property.”

How the funds are spent will be determined by township officials.

Treasurer Garrity has returned more than $14.5 million to 51 local government agencies, including counties and municipalities.

Treasury is working to return more than $4 billion in unclaimed property to its rightful owners. About one in ten Pennsylvanians is owed unclaimed property, and the average claim is worth nearly $1,600.

Unclaimed property can include dormant bank accounts, claims payments, accounts payable, uncashed checks, insurance policies, contents of forgotten safe deposit boxes and more. State law requires businesses to report unclaimed property to Treasury after three years of dormancy.

To learn more about unclaimed property or to search Treasury’s database, visit patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property.

Close to 450 guests are registered and will be welcomed by Pennsylvania State Regent Marguerite Fritsch, whose state theme is “Love of Service to God, Home, and Country,” and whose state project is the restoration and preservation of Old Swedes Cemetery, Chester, where John Morton, the signer of the Declaration of Independence, is buried.

Members will gather for informative, educational workshops, business sessions, and committee meetings to further the DAR’s goals of historic preservation, education, and patriotism.  There will also be social functions where members can connect with longtime friends and forge new ones. Conference highlights include a “Spring in Historic Lancaster,” dinner and night of trivia about Lancaster; a book club gathering with author Laurance Cook, a nationally recognized presidential historian, who will be talking about  “Symbols of Patriotism: First Ladies and Daughters of the American Revolution;”  and an “April Madness” party DAR style to be hosted by the junior members. Attendees will be encouraged to wear attire from their favorite sports teams and be divided into groups as they go head-to-head in a team trivia challenge. There will also be award presentations, including the Outstanding American History Teacher, the Community Service Award, the State Outstanding Junior Member, and the State Outstanding Chapter Regent.

The 2023 Conference Chair is Barbara Bechtel Cross, the General Chair of the Conference is Susan Gillette Meer, and the Conference Vice Chair of Reservations is Cynthia Pritchard. Honored guests will include Rebecca Kline, State Regent of Kansas; Carolyn Nutt, State Regent of Massachusetts; Laurie Nesbitt, State Regent of Virginia; and Lynne Stallcop, National Chair, Conservation, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR).

She added, “It’s a soul-warming day of celebration, meeting old friends and making new ones, relaxing to the cool musical vibes of ‘Grip It and Rip It’ and finding out what’s going on locally to save the earth!”

The 34th Annual NarbEarth Day will highlight a fun environmental fair for children and adults, on Saturday, May 6 from noon to 4 pm in Narberth Park next to the Narberth Community Library. The rain date is May 7, noon to 4 pm.

This free family-oriented happening will feature exhibits and interactive activities promoting environmental responsibility and sustainability, along with foods and artisan goods curated by local vendors.

Higgins continued, looking back “We had missed this fair in substantial ways, including working together to make it happen. The team of people who work on this day are truly wonderful, hard workers who are dedicated to making the world a better place.”

“We are old and young, many with young children to look after, so it’s a challenge to find the time for the work that goes into putting on this event.”

According to the details, the popular, long-running environmental fair will again take place in the “great outside”!

Remarkably, NarbEarth Day will yet again be a trash-free event, using no plastic, a genuine source of pride for the organizers.

Narberth residents, community people, and friends are encouraged to ride Amtrak, walk over, or ride a bike – and enjoy complimentary valet bike parking – and connect with each other and with representatives from local, regional and national groups, while all in attendance celebrate and promote environmental responsibility and sustainability.

The NarbEarth Day Committee encourages, “Learn different ways you can make change happen. You will hear from local groups such as GMO Free PA, Narberth Environmental Advisory Committee and Citizens Climate Lobby, along with the EPA, the Sierra Club, and our representative in Harrisburg, Mary Jo Daly.

“Drop by the free swap tables. Bring and/or take plants, toys, household goods or gently used children’s clothing. You can also bring books for children and adults, or clothing to distribute to underserved communities and schools.”

This unique Narberth event will offer a number of exhibitors such as SHIFT, a women-owned, Narberth-based business which offers eco-conscious goods and services focused on low-impact living.

So many ways to have fun!

• Feast on Jules Pizza, El Toro Tacos, and coffee and snacks (including gluten-free treats) from Narberth’s own GET Café

• Groove to music from Grip It & Rip It (led by Rich Myers, President of the Narberth Civic Association)

• Quench your thirst at the Civic Association’s free water bar, and join NCA while you’re there

• Make a bird feeder, plant seeds, or paint a kindness rock with your children

• Be surprised and delighted by animals from the Riverbend Environmental Center

• Play our always-popular raffle for a chance to win a prize of your choosing. Local businesses have donated gift certificates, gardening supplies, hair products, and baskets of goods

• Learn about organic gardening, composting, tree care, and green burial

• See Narberth’s pollution control initiatives by touring one of our storm water bump outs and an undeveloped land parcel that will be preserved as open space

• Check out the Plant Swap where you can bring and/or take perennials to brighten your garden

• Discover unexpected treasures at the free bring and/or take tables where you’ll find toys, household goods, and kids’ clothes

• Shop for sustainable items from Narberth’s own stores, Shift and Sweet Mabel

• Buy books at the “Narberth Community Library Used Book Sale” (the Library is collecting used books ahead of time)

• Bring things to donate: books or clothing for kids or adults to be distributed to underserved communities and schools

• Explore Narberth Borough’s rich history with the “Friends of Narberth History”

Based on notes from longtime Narberth resident and founder of Yoga Garden, Georgette DuBois, the first NarbEarth Day was started in 1990 by Nancy Lotz, who was then on the board of the Narberth Civic Association, and it was keyed to the anniversary of the original Earth Day, April 22, 1970.

As DuBois recalls, “I probably first worked at the plant swap around 1992 or 1993, which means I’ve been involved for nearly thirty years!

“I volunteered for a number of years, and then one year when it looked like it wasn’t going to happen, I took on the job of organizing the event, and I did that for several years. It was too important and wonderful to let it go!

“When Patsy Higgins agreed to be involved, she took us to a whole new level of organization, with spreadsheets, extensive notes, and a map of where everything would be set up in the park.

“In recent years, I’ve been awed by the way NarbEarth Day has grown and evolved, and by the amazing, committed volunteers who make this all happen.

“I remember when the plant swap consisted of me sitting at a picnic table with a few plants. Now we have a team of gardeners who come back every year to staff the table, which overflows with donated plants and seedlings.”

DuBois summarizes, “Because we are all volunteers who create NarbEarth Day, we always have a thank-you lunch afterwards to appreciate all of our volunteers who work on planning for months ahead of time, and those who show up to help on the day of the event.

In anticipation of “now and the future,” DuBois sparks enthusiasm, “We look forward to carrying on for years to come!”

There are also opportunities for local students to assist in the goings-on, Set-Up, 10 am to Noon; Midday Help, Noon to 2 pm; and Clean-Up, 3 pm to 5 pm. Contact Mary Brown to volunteer for any of the three shifts, mbrown@sju.edu.

NarbEarth Day is presented by the Narberth Civic Association. For more information, visit narberthcivic.org, send an email to nca@narberthcivic.org, or contact Patsy Higgins at 610-608-2445. Please note, in case of rain, NarbEarth Day will be rescheduled to Sunday, May 7, noon to 4 pm.